LIBERTY HILL, Texas — After the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) reported that it found high levels of radium in the city of Liberty Hill's drinking water last week, the City is now saying those measurements were off.
According to the City, the TCEQ called on Monday and explained that the calculations used to measure the radium was incorrect. A 5 is a violation but, when they recalculated, the city was at a 4 – meaning the water is safe.
Before the error was announced, residents last week said they were concerned.
The City sent out a letter last week about the issue. But some people said it took them a few days before they found out, and even as of Saturday some had not received their letter.
"I am not drinking Liberty Hill water," said one concerned woman who lived near Downtown Liberty Hill. "It's craziness around here."
The city shut down well number 2 on Loop 332 last week when it received the news.
In the letter, the TCEQ told the City its water had more than the acceptable amount of radium, which can be found naturally in groundwater.
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It also said this was not an emergency but did warn those of a possible increase in cancer risk linked to drinking high levels of radium over a long period of time.
"It really has you wondering what's going on," said Quinn Peacock.
Peacock found out about the problem from that letter but said his friends who lived on the other side of the duplex hadn't heard about it yet.
"What's most concerning is my wife's pregnant. I'm sure there are others in this town that are and are drinking this water and it's concerning," said Peacock.
While the City said people didn't need to use alternative water sources, some feel it's the only way to ensure safety, and they hope that changes.
The City of Liberty Hill issued the following statement on Wednesday:
"Today the City of Liberty Hill received an official notice from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regarding the rescindment of the combined radium maximum contaminant level violation for Q1 2019 originally issued on June 27, 2019.
"Communicating with our citizens in a timely and transparent manner is of utmost importance to the City of Liberty Hill, and we want to assure our residents that the City’s water is in compliance with TCEQ regulations.
"The City is taking this situation seriously. Although our water system is currently within compliance of U.S. EPA standards, our Q1 tests were higher than average due to levels coming in from Entry Point 2, which is served by Well 2. Well 2 was taken offline immediately following the original notice from TCEQ, and it has not been operational since June 27, 2019. The City is in the process of capping Well 2 and providing official documentation to TCEQ certifying that the well is no longer in use.
"As part of TCEQ’s regular protocol, sampling for the second quarter of 2019 has already been collected from the City. This likely includes data from Well 2 prior to its closure, which may result in higher-than-average sampling results for Q2 2019. TCEQ’s analysis of our water can take up to six months, but we will continue to work closely with TCEQ to monitor our water supply and provide updates to residents as we receive them."
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